NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-15-2025 10PM EST

Episode Date: November 16, 2025

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Support for NPR comes from NPR member stations and Eric and Wendy Schmidt through the Schmidt Family Foundation, working toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all. On the web at theshmit.org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Skiyavoni. Having been out of town for more than 50 days, members of the House of Representatives returned to their desks this week, voting to reopen the government with another short-term spending bill but no resolution of the standoff over the Affordable Care Act. Moving to the top of the agenda in the coming week is a vote on the release of documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and PR's Deirdre Walsh has the latest. Because of increasing calls from House Republicans to get

these files out, the speaker decided to hold this vote next week. I mean, the politics for the party are really bad. The Republicans are divided. And this bill forcing the release of the Justice Department files is picking up more GOP votes each day, even at a time when the president and top Trump officials were pressuring some Republicans to block a bill from even getting a vote. And PR's Deirdre Walsh reporting from Washington, immigration lawyers in San Diego say they are seeing a sudden increase in arrests of clients at the offices of U.S. citizenship and immigration services many applying for permanent status or naturalization. As NPR's Martin Kosti reports, the attorneys say that this looks like an emerging new Trump

administration approach to reducing immigration. U.S.CIS offices are bureaucratic places where detentions are rare, unlike immigration court. But lawyers in San Diego say that suddenly changed this week. Tessa Cabrera says she was with a client who didn't have legal status but was applying for a green card. to have two ICE officers storm into an office and immediately order my client to stand up and place him in handcuffs was just unlike anything I've ever experienced. U.S.CIS would not say whether its arrest policy has changed. In a written statement, it says, quote, apprehensions at U.S. CIS offices may occur if individuals are identified as having

outstanding warrants, being subject to removal orders, or committing fraud, crimes, or other violations while in the United States. Martin Costi and PR News. The corruption probe in Ukraine is focusing on associates of President Volodymyr Zelensky in charging they were involved in a plot to skim $100 million from the country's energy sector. All of this says Russians have been pounding Ukraine's energy hubs, and PR's Joanna Kikisis has more. This probe is extensive. It took 15 months, used about 1,000 iris of wiretaps. There were seven alleged participants, including Timmer Mindich. He's a close business associate of Zelensky's.

Investigators say this group manipulated contracts at Enerho Adam, which is a Ukraine's state nuclear energy company, and they got kickbacks laundering roughly $100 million. The scandal has forced the resignation of two ministers in Zelensky's government so far, but Zelensky has not been implicated in this probe, and he is calling for the prosecution of those accused of committing crimes. NPR's Joannica kisses. This is NPR News. The Coast Guard says migrants were aboard a wooden skiff that capsized and stormy seas off San Diego late last night. At least four people died and four were hospitalized. Authorities say several of the survivors claimed Mexican nationality. Officials say that with land borders more heavily guarded now, migrants are

increasingly turning to travel by sea aboard unstable open fishing boats, sometimes traveling hundreds of miles north in the dead of night. The American Psychological Association has released an advisory about AI chatbots and mental health needs. And PR's Ritu Chatterjee reports. A recent U.S. survey found that nearly 50% of people with a mental health condition who use AI chatbots use them for psychological support. But the new advisory notes that most AI chatbots were not designed to treat psychological disorders. And so consumers should not use them to replace mental health care from a train provider. AI apps and chatbots can create a false sense of therapeutic relationship, with some chatbots falsely claiming that they are licensed

therapists. The report also points out that several AI chatbots have engaged vulnerable youth in harmful interactions, encouraging them to self-harm and even attempt suicide. Read the Chatterjee and PR News. Senator John Fetterman is home from the hospital two days after a fall related to a ventricular fibrillation flare-up. On social media, the Pencil Democrat Pennsylvania Democrat posted a photo of himself saying that after 20 stitches, he's fine. This is NPR News. This message comes from Wise, the app for using money around the globe. When you manage your money with Wise, you'll always get the mid-market exchange rate with no hidden fees.

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